Uth Vasa Bel'Annar
by DarkMoonDiamond
Summary: AU. What if Fenris had a twin? A Tevinter slave is given a new purpose in life. They rise and fall like the great tides. The journey is one of hard trials and heartache, but they will change the world with many shoves.
1. Business transaction

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Age but I do own my OCs. This first chapter will be short but hopefully, it will gradually become longer. Surana will not be entering the story until a later time, but all good things come to those who wait.

Uth vasa bel'annar - to be bound for eternity

* * *

The calls of gulls flying overhead alerted the shopkeepers to the returning fishermen. The market was crowded; the growls of Masters barking orders to their overworked slaves joined the gulls' chorus. One such slave could be seen out of breath as she trailed behind her unforgiving Master. The man paid no mind to his property while browsing the wares, only sparing a glance here and there as he shoved his purchases into her tired arms. She ducked and weaved, trying to avoid bumping into someone. Sympathetic glances from fellow slaves gave her a reason to smile slightly. The wind blew her long hair in front of her face, causing her to pause long enough to jerk her head to the right, an attempt to remove the obstruction.

"Stupid Rabbit! If your hair is that much of a problem, perhaps it is better if I have it removed!" The Master snapped, whipping his body around to face his slave.

"No, Master, I-I'll tie it." She replied quietly, turning her gaze downward.

"See that you do."

She gently set the goods down and quickly did so, grabbing the merchandise as fast as she could. With a silent sigh, she waited until her Master turned and continued his walk. She ignored the passing sneers and slurs from the vendors, only stopping when her Master did. She looked ahead to see what was going on. A small group of dwarves had gathered at a nearby vendor. They appeared to be wearing the same uniform which meant they belonged to the Merchant's Guild. She watched as the Master made his way over to him, following a few steps behind him. The Guild members turned their attention to the pair, one of them stepping forward to act as their voice.

"Ah, Danarius, you're early."

"Indeed. I assume the _shipment_ will be here by the end of the week?"

"I could be _persuaded_ to shorten the delivery time."

"That will not be necessary."

At this point, she tuned out the rest of the conversation and bit her cheek to prevent her pain from showing. The goods were light individually but together was enough matter entirely. But, what was she to do? Protest? She was but a slave with no voice of her own. She wasn't allowed to speak unless spoken to. She was nothing to them, just another piece of livestock to use and abuse as he pleased. She glanced around, hoping to distract herself. A few shiny pieces of jewelry caught her attention at a nearby booth; she imagined herself being able to wear them and faintly smiled. It was the small things that kept her going. A feminine voice snapped her out of her little daydream, causing her to turn her head back to the group.

"By the beards of the Paragons, Danarius, _feed_ your Rabbit! She's a stick! It looks like she is going to collapse!" A female Dwarf snapped and waddled forward, her right hand on her swollen belly.

Danarius narrowed his eyes. "I _won't_ have you tell me what to do with_ my _slave, Rona, even if you are Marek's wife."

Marek frowned at both of them. "Easy, Rona, I know your hormones are crazy but she's not your concern. Danarius, I will have you be more respectful; she is pregnant."

"Very well." Danarius sighed, rolling his eyes at the situation.

"I want to borrow her." Rona declared.

Both men simply stared. "What?"

Rona crossed her arms impatiently. "Are you daft? I want to borrow her. As I am heavy with child, I am unable to do certain tasks. She can assist me."

"If you want a slave, my dear, I could always buy you one," Marek interjected.

"Maybe later, Love, but I want her for the moment."

"For a few gold, you can borrow her for a few days." Danarius bargained.

Rona nodded. "Done."

The exchange of money was done while the female slave watched as the conversation unfolded, bewildered by it all. It was uncommon for Dwarves to keep slaves as their heritage was vastly different from Humans. She cocked her head curiously, side-eyeing Danarius as he pondered the request. He had plenty of slaves to keep his house running efficiently, having one gone for a short period would not hurt. Plus, he needed to remain on the Guild's good side if he wanted to continue doing business with them. He turned his attention to the girl, her gaze immediately falling to the ground.

"Aurora, you will report to Marek's house tomorrow. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. We shall return to the mansion. It was a pleasure doing business with The Merchant's Guild."

Aurora raised her gaze just enough to see a victorious smirk on Rona's face. _'Just what is she up to?'_


	2. Discoveries

A/N: currently homeless as I write this. Writing keeps me going.

* * *

Life inside Castellum Tenebris, if one was a slave, was filled with hardship. Young or old, it did not matter to Danarius. The halls were quiet enough, with the occasional scream of a slave in the lower levels. The slaves cleaning the various rooms paid no mind, trying to remain as invisible as possible. At least, it wasn't them, right? Aurora was no different than the rest of the slaves with this mentality. She was quiet and kept her eyes and heads down as much as possible. She never allowed her pain to show publicly if possible, her master and his apprentice, Hadriana, took much glee in torturing what they deemed as the weak ones.

She stole a glance out a nearby window, noting the sun was setting._'The only thing left to do now is help to cook the evening meal.'Oh no, I'm late! _With this in mind, she ran from the lower levels to the kitchen,. The doorknob creaked as she turned it, gasping for air, gaining a few glances from her fellow slaves but nothing more. She quickly took her place, prepping the main meal as the others did their duties. All was well until Hadriana made an appearance. The slaves glued their eyes to their work, silently praying to whatever they believed in to remain invisible. Hadriana cast her gaze around the room, looking for the slightest slip-up. She smirked while she fixed her gaze upon Aurora who was still chopping carrots for the stew, stalking over to her like a cat hunting a mouse.

"You're late, Aurora. Lateness is not something I tolerate."

Hadriana's tone made her flinch and put the knife down, muttering her apologies as she did so.

Hadriana stopped before her. "I did not tell you to speak, _Rabbit_, nor did I say to put the knife down," she paused, turning her gaze to a large butcher knife. "Actually... pick up that butcher knife."

Aurora's eyes widened as her body disobeyed her commands, helpless as she could feel Hadriana's magic puppeteer her with unsteady movements as she tried to resist. The other slaves shared a collective look of concern while Hadriana was distracted, yet were unable to think of a way to spare Aurora from her torment. At least, it was not them, right? The room was silent, save for the sounds of food cooking. Aurora grit her teeth as she was forced to grasp the knife, her breathing heavy. She felt something rise within her, a feeling that was both familiar and foreign. Instinct guided her as she sent out a burst of magic, broke the spell, and dropped the knife onto the floor. The other slaves gasped in surprise, recoiling from the pair. Aurora widened her eyes as she gulped hard.

Hadriana grinned in delight, playing with her prey as any cat would. "Ahhh, how long have you kept your little secret, Little Rabbit? Mmm, judging by that expression… either way, Danarius will want to know of this… Come, Rabbit. The rest of you, back to work!"

With that, she turned and did not look back. Aurora glanced at the others, looking for guidance but she found none as they refused to look at her. She sighed silently and followed Hadriana. A normal slave did not have much value; they were easily replaced and could meld into the background. A slave with magic? They did not have that luxury, for they joined a slightly higher class and were more valuable. The pair traveled swiftly down the many halls until they reached Danarius's office.

Hadriana knocked on the door. "Danarius, I need to speak with you."

"It is late; can it wait till morning?" came his muffled reply.

She rolled her eyes. "Only if you want an abomination."

A heavy sigh and the creaking of a chair was her response while he made his way to the door and opened it. "Explain and why is Aurora with you?"

Hadriana raised a brow. "It seems she is either a very _late _bloomer or has been hiding her magical abilities from us."

Aurora, at this point, had remained silent while her thoughts raced. _'What am I to say to them?' _She could hear her Master step out of the office but did not dare make eye contact. She could feel him place his hand on his chin, forcing her to look at him. She did what she could to clear her mind with little success. He seemed to be searching for something, but judging by his frown, he was not able to find it.

"She'll be working for the Guild for the next few days. If she has managed to hide her magic from us for this long, she should last a few more days without official training." He said while releasing her, crossing his arms. "Dismissed, Aurora."

"Yes, Master." She replied quietly before bowing and turning back to head to the slave quarters.

Hadriana glanced at her Master with a smirk. "It is fortunate Dwarves are immune to magic."

He nodded. "Indeed."

* * *

Aurora released a heavy sigh once she was back with the others. The ones who had finished their tasks for the day had started to wind down for the night. For the most part, they ignored her which was not unusual. What was, though, was the whispering and side glances coming from a few Elven slaves who usually spoke with her. She walked over to them with a frown on her face.

"What is it?" she asked quietly as she rubbed her arms to warm up.

"Did you know you were a mage?" The black-haired elf asked.

'_Blunt as always, Selene.' _"..."

"It doesn't matter either way. She'll be moved to The Circle soon enough with all the other freaks of nature." a white-haired Elf cut in as she made her way over, having heard the conversation from across the room.

"That's enough, Corix!" Selene hissed as she wedged herself between Aurora and Corix. "In case you've forgotten, this _is_ Tevinter. We're surrounded by magic."

Corix gritted her teeth. "And what good has that done? We're slaves, disposable," she glared daggers at Aurora as she continued. "Her? Still a slave, but just rose within the ranks. There's more value to her and whatever spawn she may have in the future."

Selene crossed her arms and smirked. "You know, that's a lot of words for 'I'm jealous and spiteful', Corix."

"Excuse me?!"

"What the _**fuck**_ is going on in there?!" a male voice boomed from the hallway. "Go the _**fuck**_ to sleep, Trash, or I'll ensure tomorrow will be even worse than today!"


End file.
